FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Damon Parrish II, HCCLA President
281-619-4191 or email
or Robert Fickman, HCCLA Past President/Event Founder
(713) 962-8821 or email
17th Annual Reading: Declaration of Independence
Houston, Texas – July 2, 2026 – In celebration of Independence Day, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA) is holding its 17th Annual Reading of the Declaration of Independence on Thursday, July 2nd at 12:00 pm at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center located at 1201 Franklin Street, 7th Floor – Attorney Ready Room, Houston, Texas 77002.
Local criminal defense lawyers will gather to take part in reading sections of the historic text. Members of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA) will also be holding public readings at courthouses across the state.
The reading of the Declaration of Independence by criminal defense lawyers is an annual tradition started in 2010 by attorney Robert Fickman, a past president of HCCLA.
“On this, our 250th Anniversary as a nation, it is vitally important to have public readings of our Declaration of Independence,” said Fickman. “The Declaration is our national annual reminder of who we are. Who are we? We are a freedom loving people. As Americans, we will never abide tyranny inside the courthouse or anywhere else. That will never change. The Defense Bar will always stand up and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.”
HCCLA President Damon Parrish II added, “The Declaration of Independence serves as a reminder to us all of the cost of liberty that we enjoy in this country.
“It serves as a reminder that we must continue to fight for our liberties and fight to preserve what makes this country great.
“There is no such thing as liberty when there is oppression, and so to fight against oppression is to fight for liberty. HCCLA stands with liberty, we stand against oppression, and we are here to continue this fight for us all,” said Parrish.
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States and contains within its text the fundamental truths and rights that typify and embody the American way of life: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Defense lawyers preserve these rights every day and hold the government to the laws of this nation.
Please join us in honoring our nation’s most sacred document in the spirit and celebration of Independence Day:
When: Thursday, July 2, 2026
Where: Harris County Criminal Justice Center
1201 Franklin Street – 7th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002
Time: 12:00 pm Noon
The Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association is the largest local criminal defense bar in the United States with more than 650 active members.
Click here for more information about the history of the Readings and photos
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